Towards accreditation of clinical biochemistry in the public sector on the island of Mauritius

Medical laboratories of the public sector as well as of the private sector on the island of Mauritius are preparing for accreditation. The clinical laboratory of the Central Health laboratory of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life has undergone a pre-assessment by experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the aegis of a project targeted to members of the Africa Region. Several shortcomings were identified and respective corrective actions were recommended for implementation within a given time frame. In addition to ensuring the competence of the laboratory, accreditation has various positive aspects such as an increased awareness of the staff to quality and better training opportunities. The pre-assessment exercise has provided a gap analysis, which is an important aspect in the preparation towards accreditation.